UCF – Walk Into the Future

Oviedo Get Away

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.

(Lao Tzu)

My Walk into the Future allows me to discover adventures large and small. There are some weeks when I lay low and stay local and others when I get the urge to just get up and go.

Well, needed a bit of adventure in my life so decided to get up and go and make a circuitous route back to one of my favorite places Oviedo, Florida. I spent 4 years in Oviedo when I worked at the University of Central Florida and still enjoy getting back over there when possible. It has grown from a sleepy little town east of Orlando into a traffic heavy little town. The urban spawl is real there.

I did not have a dedicated plan when I headed over, just wanted to see a few sights and enjoy being back in Oviedo. I knew I could take advantage of the running trails as I continue to work towards my first full marathon.

Outlets

The Orlando outlet malls are not close to Oviedo so that’s why I described my adventure as circuitous. Most folks know I love outlet mall shopping and will stop anytime I can get close. The Orlando outlets are huge and provide access to name brand companies with the idea of good prices. Some of the outlet stores are running sales and clearance specials, so the prices are even better now.

I focus on Nike, Timberland, GAP, and Columbia stores when I’m in Orlando. I added the Cole Haan outlet store to my rotation on this trip. I have been in the store in the past but never really took the time to see everything they offered. There were a lot of shoes marked down and these prices got better by joining the Cole Haan club (it’s free). Just needed to provide my cell number and I was signed up to receive additional discounts while shopping. Picked up a new pair of Cole Haan shoes on this trip and look forward to getting back for more deals soon.

Made my way down to the Nike and Columbia stores to find additional bargains. My hope was to upgrade my hiking boots prior to my trip to Asheville but could not find anything I liked on this trip. I have enough sneakers, so my Nike visit was to look for new running gear. I picked up a few items in Nike and made my way over to Oviedo.

Seminole Cross Trail

I was able to leverage the Seminole Cross Trail again to complete one of my long training runs. The trail provides 20+ miles of multi-purpose access for runners, bikers, and walkers. This trail makes my long run process easier since I don’t have to figure out where and how I will hit a specific mile number (5 miles, 10 miles, etc.) since the trail is well maintained with mile markers easy to spot. Needed to get a 10-mile run in while in Oviedo and was able to hit my mileage with plenty of shade to cover me during the run.

Bob Marley’s

Bob Marley’s at Universal Orlando City Walk has been a favorite stop for me over the years.

It’s a unique venue to listen to live reggae music and catch an irie vibe. Some of the bands I have heard there over the years rival some of the best reggae artists in Negril. Always thought that was amazing considering the musical talent that resides in Jamaica. COVID-19 still influences the venue—it is mostly a dining place with a live band playing while patrons are eating. Prior to COVID-19 this was the spot in Orlando to listen and dance to reggae music. People came from all over the country to experience this venue and hear some world class musicians.

The music during my recent visit was still outstanding but most of the folks just sat at the dinner table and rocked their heads from time to time. No dancing or excitement from the patrons but they appeared to enjoy the food while there.

I stayed for an hour or so and decided to call it a night—happy to get a chance to listen to live reggae again.

Finish off the adventure the next day at the local Costco to stock up on household items. Made my way back down to Fort Pierce to get ready for the work week.

Quick little getaway but made sure to maximize my time while away. LOL.

Where do you go for a quick getaway?

Irie!

“If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots instead of feet”.

(Rachel Wolchin)

The Walk into the Future blog continues to grow

“Blogging is like work, but without coworkers thwarting you at every turn”.

(Scott Adams)

The first Walk into the Future blog article was introduced to the world on May 21, 2018.

Yep, four straight years of creating blog content and sharing it every week (mostly) with anyone willing to read about my thoughts, adventures, travel, and leadership pursuits.

Looking back my writing style has changed and grown over the past four years as I seek to find content that others may want to read. Scratch that thought—I am writing content based on my life and sharing with anyone who wants to read it.

I never had a clear idea where this blog would take me but decided to just sit down on my laptop and create content to publish. I did not set out on a particular direction for my articles but felt an urge to write and the blog concept seemed like a natural place to showcase my words.

I would be lying by saying I knew four years ago I would still be writing and sharing content through this platform. A bigger lie would have been I knew I would attract an audience of people who never met me and read my articles weekly. My friends and family are ALMOST obligated to read this stuff so knew ya’ll would be along for the journey! 😊

I quick THANK YOU to my day 1 folks and everyone who follow this blog and my journey.

I did a summary blog article awhile back to highlight Walk into the Future blog stats. Decided to do that again for this article to showcase the continued growth for the blog and the impact it has in the world. I am amazed daily when I get a new blog follower from another country. This puts a huge smile on my face because I never thought starting a blog in Tallahassee, Florida would generate international interest.

Martin Lawrence once joked that Michael Jackson was BANGING in Bucharest. Well, I get weekly blog views in Romania so I can joke I am banging in Bucharest too—not as big as Michael Jackson but happy someone over there likes my work.

I will continue to produce content for the blog as long as it is still fun to me and people want to read my work. Let’s see how long we can continue to Walk into the Future!

What topics do you want me to write about in the future? No pun intended!

Irie!

Wordpress

Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!

You registered on WordPress.com 4 years ago.

Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.

Walk into the future blog stats May 2022

“Blogging is a conversation, not a code”.

(Mike Butcher)

Track Shack UCF 5 Miler

5 Mile race

“Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most”.

(Buddha)

Merriam-Webster defines resilience as an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.

Happy to report there has not been any misfortune for me, but the change has been an adjustment to my training regimen. I am still putting in work but not able to get the same quality sessions I put in pre-COVID. This can be directly attributed to my work role in Fort Pierce but please do not think I am complaining.

We have made some major operational improvements and there is light at the end of the tunnel where we will soon normalize operations and I can get back to putting in more training miles.

The concept of resiliency reminds me of the old saying: try and then try again!

Decided to use shorter races as a bigger part of my training program to get me prepared for the rigors of the half marathon distance. I have the 2021 Rock N Roll Savannah half marathon in November and the 2021 Track Shack OUC half marathon in December. My overall goal is to run a half marathon under 2 hours and the Track Shack OUC half marathon is the ideal setup to make this happen. I need to put in additional training miles to build my endurance back to my 2019 levels.

My fastest half marathon was the 2019 Track Shack OUC half marathon with a time of 2:05:51 (two hours, five minutes, and 51 seconds). 2020 was set to be my fastest year ever but of course COVID-19 shut down racing and my training lagged—that’s on me! 😊

So, what’s my plan to correct my training and speed issues? Well, I check multiple running clubs to see what races are being offered locally and within driving distance to me in Fort Pierce.

I routinely scan the Fleet Feet Stuart and Orlando Track Shack events pages to determine which races are available to help with my training program. I just shared with my best friend I have a hard time training with race pace—it is a mental thing for me since I do not have competitors or anyone to pace with. I am sure I may be the only active running with this issue but targeting real races seems to get my competitive nature going. This may not be the ideal strategy, but I will try this out to get me closer to my half marathon goal.

Made my way back over to Orlando for the 2021 Track U Can Finish 5 Mile race to get some speed work in. I ran this same event when I lived in Oviedo, but this is the first time I tackled the race distance in 8 years.

This is an interesting event because it has multiple distances available for runners to try. The first event is the U Can Finish 2 Mile race and Track Shack has a distance dare. Runners can sign up to run the 2-mile race and then compete in the 5-mile race right after. The hook for distance dare runners is the opportunity to collect 3 medals: 2-mile, 5-mile, and distance dare medals. Runners love their bling and a lot of them took part in the distance dare. I did not—officially. 😊

Did something new on race day to ensure I got in extra training miles. I stay in the same hotel each time I visit the Orlando area and it is down the street from the UCF campus.

I decided to leave my vehicle parked at the hotel and ran the 2-mile distance to the UCF campus for the start of the 5-mile race. Figured this was a great way to warmup and stretch my legs before my race and ensured I would get in a long training session—it was just broken up into segments.

Toed the line for the 5-mile race completely warmed up and excited to run on the UCF campus again. The race village was setup directly in front of the Career Services building where I worked for 4-years prior to moving to Tallahassee and the FSU Career Center. Great being back on the old stomping grounds. 😊

My goal for the 5-mile race was simply to test my endurance and consistently run miles splits with a 9 on the front of them (9:05, 9:10, etc.). Mission accomplished.

The UCF campus is completely flat which helped a lot. Went out with the intent to run my race based on feel and then push myself when I could.

Mile-1 went by at an 8:44 per minute pace and I felt good with the effort. Mile-2 through 5 were: 9:15, 9:33, 9:57, 9:42 which got me to the finish line at 47:29. Targeted 45 flat but happy with my results considering I put in a 2-mile run before my race.

Collected my 5-mile medal and took some pictures to commemorate the race and my time back at UCF. Got some refreshments and stretched a bit before heading out. I tucked my race medal away and began my 2-mile journey back to my hotel—yes, I ran back for a total of 9 training miles for the day. Felt great every step of the day!

I will look for additional races to help me prepare for my next two half marathons. Still have some speed in these legs, just need to release it in my unique way.

FYI—I am still on pace to meet my 2021 goals of 1,000 training miles. Imagine my mileage if I could stay consistent with my training.

Irie!

How do you display resilience in your daily activities? Thanks!

“Life does not get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient”.

(Steve Maraboli)

Winter Park, Florida (Park Avenue Adventures)

“To travel is to live”.

(Hans Christian Andersen)

Happy to report the Walk into the Future adventures continue. I am excited to get back to regular excursions again with more and more people being vaccinated. COVID-19 put a halt to most outings, but I am getting comfortable being out and about again.

Decided to explore a familiar area recently and ventured back over to Winter Park, Florida to spend a day on Park Avenue. Park Avenue has an eclectic feel and provides multiple places to shop, dine and entertain yourself without having to get in and out of your car.

My day started with a trip to my favorite run shop, Track Shack. I make a point to visit Track Shack whenever I’m in the area because the staff makes me feel at home. They also update their running gear selections, and I am always looking for new training ideas and gear. I wear Track Shack gear during my races and wanted to see if they had new color schemes to add to my wardrobe. I did not buy new gear on this trip but picked up some CBD gel caps.

I added CBD to my training program last year to help with soreness and inflammation from running. My run friends recommended CBD and I finally decided to add to my program to keep me running. CBD has allowed me to continue to train hard and not miss sessions due to soreness—it also helps me relax and sleep better. Give it a try!

Made my way over to Park Avenue after leaving Track Shack. The Winter Park Farmer’s Market is a huge Saturday attraction, and I made a stop to see what the vendors had for sell. The kettle corn vendor was the most popular vendor of the day—it is amazing to see folks buy the huge bags of kettle corn. I like kettle corn but could not make myself buy the supersized bags the vendor had.

There was a vendor at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market selling jerky—this is not a revelation but was surprised with the selection available. Most people know about beef, turkey, and alligator jerky. The surprise for me was this vendor had kangaroo jerky. I had no idea people ate kangaroo and did not expect it as a jerky selection. I am not a huge jerky fan but wondered all day why anyone would eat kangaroo jerky—may have to try it next time I am at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market.

Took the short walk over to Park Avenue to explore the shops and dining options available. Track Shack hosts multiple races in this area so I am familiar with Park Avenue—the races start and end in the heart of the entertainment district here.

Found a corner breakfast spot that I had never visited before. The Croissant Gourmet Bakery has a great menu and provides the perfect spot to dine, and people watch at the same time. This spot is right off Park Avenue but gets a lot of foot traffic. Most people came in for baked goods, but several stayed for breakfast and the coffee. The Croissant Gourmet Bakery layout reminds me of a New York style bakery—the staff was friendly and got people in and out. I had a traditional breakfast (two eggs, potatoes, bacon, toast with coffee). They had a fantastic raspberry jam I would recommend if you visit the Croissant Gourmet Bakery—well worth the trip. I plan to visit this spot again when I am back in Winter Park.

https://www.facebook.com/thecroissantgourmet/

One of my reasons to visit Park Avenue was to venture into the Wine Room again. The Wine Room provides a unique experience where you can purchase a wine card and then explore wines from around the world. Insert your wine card and then decide if you want a sip, half glass or full glass. This is a great way to try multiple wines and not commit too much money if you decide you are not a fan. I strategically visited the Croissant Gourmet Bakery first to ensure I ate something prior to exploring wine options. 😊

I am a novice wine drinker, so the Wine Room allows folks like me to try different wines without committing too much to the process. I favor the sweeter wines but experiment with others by purchasing by the sip. This process helps me determine if I like the wine and not waste time or money if I do not. I tried multiple wines that caught my interest, and most were very good.

I made my way back to the sweet Italian wine section and found one I really enjoyed. Decided to go all in and purchased a full glass to enjoy. The Wine Room is a great place to enjoy wine and get some people watching in. There were several folks there who really knew wine and it was interesting listening to them describe the wines to each other.

Will leverage their knowledge on my next visit to the Wine Room and explore additional wines—one sip at a time.

The most talked about wine during my visit was the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon. It was very good, and I will try it again when I am back in the Wine Room:

https://www.abcfws.com/caymus-cabernet-sauvignon/234305

https://www.thewineroomonline.com/winter-park-wine-tasting-system

Left the Wine Room and got some window-shopping in. There were a lot of people out for the afternoon, and everyone had smiles. This was a fantastic way to spend the day and I enjoyed every minute of my time on Park Avenue. Look forward to additional adventures on Park Avenue—this may turn into a monthly getaway for me. 😊

Where have you wanted to visit? Give Park Avenue a try if you are in the Orlando area—highly recommended.

Irie!

https://orlandodatenightguide.com/2016/09/guide-perfect-afternoon-park-avenue-winter-park/

Running into the Future—goal within reach

Run article

“Set goals and crush them”.

(www.tresfleeck.com)

Goals continue to be a big part of my Walk into the Future. I sit down in January and write out my goals for the year. I break these goals up into categories so I can track my completion progress.

My weekly physical fitness goals include weight training (2 days), run (3 days) and speed work on Wednesdays. My overarching physical fitness goal is 1,000 training miles in 2021—this includes running and biking miles.

I set 1,000 training miles as a goal to push my training to a new level. This mile marker also helps my motivation since there are not as many races to run in this COVID-19 world. I am always looking for ways to maintain my running edge and adding more miles to my training program appears to be a good thing for me.

Happy to report I logged 615 miles so far in 2021. I have not been consistent with my long runs but routinely get in three quality sessions each week.

Tuesdays: 3 – 4 miles (after work)

Thursdays: 4 – 6 miles (after work)

Saturdays: 6 – 8 miles (morning runs)

My Tuesday and Thursday runs are done when I get off work, so I am not concerned about my run times during these sessions. Working 9, 10, 11-hour days creates a mental drain, but I still make time to hit the road since this helps to recharge me physically and mentally. Some days are a lot slower than others, but I smile because I am out doing something I love. Never thought I would say that, but I would be lost without my running program—it just took me awhile to come to this conclusion.

My Saturday runs are not like my long training sessions when I had half marathons to train for. I routinely crushed 10+ mile runs on Saturdays before my move to Fort Pierce but 8 is the longest distance I hit when running locally. I have not found a route that allows me to enjoy the run while getting in longer distances. I have searched multiple locations, but nothing is available like the St. Mark’s Trail or John Brown Park in Tallahassee:

https://visittallahassee.com/10-amazing-tallahassee-trails-5/

The trail system in Tallahassee allowed me to push my mileage and extend my long runs up to 16 miles on multiple training sessions. I plan to get back to the longer versions of my runs since I am looking forward to getting back to being a running tourist.

I am scheduled to run the 2021 Rock n Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon in September. I have never run this race or visited the city so looking forward to getting back to a starting line to test my conditioning against some world class athletes. My goal for this race is to run another Personal Record (PR) and get under 2 hours for the distance. I was on track to go under 2 hours before COVID-19 hit the world, but I am confident I am going to hit my goal.

My training for Virginia Beach will increase my speed towards the Orlando OUC Half Marathon in December. This course is completely flat so it should provide a fast track to help me hit my goals. This will truly springboard my runs into 2022 as I gear up for a full running season—8 or more half marathons.

A full marathon (26.2 miles) will make it on my goals list for 2022—there I said it so now it is out in the open. Let’s see who is going to run it with me! Come on Laurens! 😊

What goals did you set for 2021? How is your progress so far?

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible”.

(Tony Robbins)

Running and enjoying the Winter Park 10k

10k2

“Life is short…running makes it seem longer”.

(Baron Hansen)

Decided to test my fitness again by running the Winter Park 10k with Orlando Track Shack. It should be obvious Track Shack is my favorite running organization but will go ahead and say it again—I love Track Shack and the way they put on racing events.

The 2021 Winter Park 10k was the last event in the Track Shack running series. I was a regular Track Shack Fanatic when I lived in Oviedo but only get to participate in a couple events now. The Track Shack running series consists of 6 scheduled races over an 8-month period which ends with the Winter Park 10k event. You do not have to be a Fanatic to run the Winter Park race, so I made a point to sign up again this year to test myself against the best runners in Central Florida.

My 10k goal continues to be to run faster than my tree branch, Lauren Kume and eventually beat her 10k Personal Record (PR). A quick note, I did not beat her time but was able to shave a substantial amount off my PR and set a new one in 2021. Lauren still has the best time in the family! 😊

Made my way over to Track Shack on Friday afternoon to pick up my race packet and get some last-minute shopping in. I love making it into the Track Shack store to see the new running gear they have. I did not need anything specific but always seem to come out of the store with something new. I try not to run with the same outfit two races in a row, so I am always looking for additional color schemes for my run outfits.

I found a new Track Shack running tank top that caught my eye due to the unique color. Unfortunately, they did not have my size on the rack. Betsy Hughes who is the co-owner with her husband Jon helped me as I was shopping in the store. Small world fact—I met Betsy two years earlier while I was out for a run in Tom Brown park in Tallahassee. One of their daughters lives in Tallahassee and Betsy and Jon were up for a visit. I noticed her Track Shack gear and stopped my run to say hello. Fast forward two years and Betsy remembered me from our quick conversation on a running trail in Tallahassee. Betsy brought Jon over and we got a chance to talk about the great running trails Tallahassee has to offer. Great time catching up with them both—they wished me luck for the race, and I thanked them for being so awesome! 😊

Race day was a comfortable 58 degrees—perfect weather for a run through the Winter Park neighborhoods. Made sure I got there early to make sure I could find parking and get to the start line on-time. COVID-19 has adjusted how races are run so there was not as much activity prior to the race as in the past. There were vendors available but just not as much traffic. We followed Track Shack protocols, and everyone wore their face masks as we waited for the start of the race.

Race time

The starting area was organized to ensure we maintained physical distance prior to the race.

The corrals were marked to ensure runners knew how to line up—there were dots placed on the ground to ensure we stayed a safe distance from the other runners. Runners were able to line up based on their projected mile per minute time (example: 6 minutes, 8 minutes, etc.). I decided to line up with the 8 minute per mile group to avoid having to navigate through a crowd of runners at the beginning of the race.

Happy to report I was able to get out without having to adjust my pace to make it through the initial traffic. I set out to establish a fast but comfortable pace and then see how I felt at the halfway point. Luckily, the runners in my immediate area set a good pace and I decided to hang with them to see how much my conditioning had improved since my last big race which was the OUC Half Marathon in December.

Mile 1: 8:35 / Mile 2: 8:54 / Mile 3: 9:12 / Mile 4: 9:18 / Mile 5: 9:16 / Mile 6: 9:18 / Last .2 / 1:27

I was happy to get in the sub 9-minute miles at the beginning of the race. My goal was to clock as many sub 9-minute miles as possible and then hang on to my form to get me to the finish line. Felt comfortable from start to finish this year. There was a steep incline in the middle of Mile 3 so had to adjust my stride to ensure I did not lose much momentum going up. I broke my sub 9-minute streak here but felt good once I made it to the top. Made up a few seconds on the descent but not enough to keep me under 9 minutes for Mile 3. Took advantage of the first water stop just before the Mile 4 marker—new COVID protocols do not allow open containers so we were provided sealed bottled water during the race. I got back to running comfortably after the water stop and decided to see how much I had left in the tank. Happy to see my times did not drop off as I got deeper into the race. I knew at the Mile 5 marker I would not beat Lauren’s time but had a good race going and a new PR was within reach.

Crossed the finish line strong with a new PR of 55:57. Erased close to a minute off my 2020 10k time.

I am happy with my race results and conditioning at this point of the year. Will look to incorporate speed training to increase my endurance and help keep and maintain my pace for the next race. I am not projected to run another race until the OUC Half Marathon in December. Track Shack has a 5k scheduled in Winter Park in April—thinking about coming back to the Orlando area and run that one. The course is flat and may set-up for another PR for me to lower my 5k time—we will see how it goes.

FYI—I added Tart Cherry juice to my prerace routine and believe it helped my performance from start to finish. I did not experience a lactic acid build up during the race or soreness after.

Give it a try: https://cheribundi.com/

“I chose running as my therapy”.

(Dean Karnazes)

Success in Black and White podcast

Success

(Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)

“A podcast is a great way to develop relationships with hard-to-reach people”.

(Tim Paige)

The Walk into the Future blog has provided me with multiple opportunities to share my words, thoughts, and experiences with others.

I started this journey in 2018 with an idea of the direction I wanted to go but had no idea the process would be so much fun for me. The ability to be creative and explore adventures are two key elements that allow me to continue to produce content for the blog. I love the comments, texts, and emails I receive when something I write speaks to others—I guess you can say I am finding my voice as I develop content.

One area that puts a huge smile on my face is when one of my tree branches reaches out and want to produce content with me. My smile gets even bigger when the request comes from TWO tree branches! 😊

My tree branches, Darryl and April Lovett have a successful platform: Success in Black and White.

Proud of these two as they tackle issues others may shy away from, but they have fun as they do it. Love the fact they move forward as a POWER couple; their energy is contagious and makes you want to get up and make a difference in the world.

They asked me to join them for a podcast episode and I immediately said yes. Saw this as a perfect way to catch up with them and share a little bit of Walk into the Future with their growing audience. Please note, recording the episode was more fun than I ever imagined—well done Darryl and April!

We were able to catch up during the podcast and cover a lot of content in the one-hour timeframe. They asked great questions and were not afraid to follow-up for clarity. The question that really got me energized was: What is your calling and why are you passionate about it?

I have been asked this question in multiple ways but really enjoy the opportunity to continue to share my WHY. My why is to leave everyone better than when I met them. It took me a few years to put this down into a simple statement, but it has been with me for some time now.

I was able to dive a bit deeper while speaking with Darryl and April during the podcast. My desire to help others started for me in high school. I had a Guidance Counselor who did not even try to help me plan my life after high school. I had several friends who got excellent advice from this same counselor, but she only told me to join the military. We never discussed how to apply to colleges, how to apply for financial aid or anything about further education and the doors it would open. Fast forward and I hold three degrees without ever having a student loan—so maybe it was a good thing my high school guidance counselor did not help me with the process. 😊

My why is driven by the lack of support I received from my guidance counselor. I provide mentorship to everyone that crosses my path because I do not want them to have to struggle because I would not take the time to help them. I wanted to make sure Darryl, April and their audience understood how important this is for me. The passion I display when working with my tree branches and potential branches is because I want to help them grow. Sounds cliché but it is something I live every day.

A funny but true aspect of how I developed my why is I do not remember the name of my high school guidance counselor. Imagine, this lady fueled my passion with her lack of attention to my future and I do not remember her name, but she has allowed me to touch so many lives in a positive way. Good things come out of bad situations. Please note, I would not change a thing—I seem to be doing okay with this Walk into the Future journey.

Discovered during the podcast episode April also considers herself a running tourist! We got a chance to discuss why I run and the positive impacts it has on my daily journey. Hoping we can all get back to running, exploring, and traveling soon—there are still races out there to run.

So, I repeat the question Darryl and April asked me:

What is your calling and why are you passionate about it?

Thank you, Darryl and April for allowing me to come on your podcast! It was fun! 😊 Irie!

“Podcasting is great. Total freedom”.

(Bill Burr)

The true anniversary date

anniversary image

(Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay)

“A year from now, you will wish you had started today”.

(Karen Lamb)

Dictionary.com defines an anniversary as the yearly recurrence of the date of a past event and the celebration or commemoration of such a date.

The first Walk into the Future article was posted on this site on 6/18/2018. The true anniversary date for me is 4/14/2018—let me explain why I say this.

I sat on the beach at St. George Island (SGI) on 4/14/2018 with the idea of deciding which direction I wanted to pursue moving forward. The Walk into the Future concept was not on my radar but needed the beach atmosphere to help with a huge decision.

So, I sat on the beach on this prophetic day with my beach towel, cooler of beer, reggae, pen, and paper to figure this thing called life out (Prince reference).

I have used the concept of a pros/cons list in the past to help with major decisions and my goal on this day was to identify pro/con items to inform the decision I needed to make. Dr. Henry Cloud identifies successful people do not hang on to bad stuff for long in his book 9 Things you Simply Must do in Love and Life. The only way to label something as bad is to take a true look at it without emotion, hence the pros/cons list for me.

I finally admitted I spent too much time determining if I should stay in my old role. The interactions I had with students, employers, faculty, staff, and community members still appealed to me but there was always something daily to eliminate my joy. Turns out it was too much negative workplace energy. This is not a complaint just a stated fact from my perspective—negative energy can and will wear you down over time.

Fast forward to the list and the decision was obvious! There were 5 pros and 15 cons. I tried to manufacture some additional pros just to see if I could even this process out a bit, but this was the final tally. The 15 cons were present EVERY day and only 3 pros were daily items. I was amused when I saw the disparity of my two lists. I subconsciously knew this to be true but never wrote it out to examine more in-depth. Sadly, none of the cons listed were fixable—not one.

I laughed when I was able to view the list for the insight in front of me. So, on 4/14/2018 the Walk into the Future journey began after I made the decision it was time to move on from what I was doing. The work and making a difference daily were not the problem it was the negative energy—the opposite of the Irie mindset I seek in life. Dr. Cloud has another principle he calls Pull the Tooth. I decided to pull the tooth and Walk into the Future after I finished my beer and listened to a few more Bob Marley songs.

I decided to write this post after looking in my journal and coming across the page with my pros/cons list. Just happened to be 2 years to the date I wrote the items and wanted to share with my readers I just had an anniversary.

So, happy anniversary to the Walk into the Future blog. Here is to a few more years of writing, sharing adventures and making a difference in the world. Thanks for walking with me!

What tooth do YOU need to pull? How could the pros/cons list help with your decision?

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”.

(Walt Disney)

Congrats to the Class of 2020—Go Jayla!

Grad 2020

(Image by Annalise Batista from Pixabay)

“Follow your fear”.

(Tina Fey)

We are halfway through 2020 and the ebb and flows of the year have been tremendous. Most people I know came into 2020 with major goals, plans, and the right mindset to make positive things happen. We continue to move forward but the COVID-19 pandemic has adjusted how we Walk into the Future daily.

Looking forward to getting back to things that resemble normal life but do not know if/when that will be possible. The term new normal is being thrown around and means we must redefine what is considered normal in the future.

One thing that does not require a new normal is how proud I am of my niece, Jayla Williams! We have been on a special journey for the past 24 years and I am excited to see her next money moves in the future.

The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped a large portion of planned activities for everyone but one area we had to put on hold was celebrating Jayla’s graduation from the University of Central Florida. Family and friends have reached out to congratulate her for this phenomenal feat, but we have not been able to gather the crew and throw the blowout party this accomplishment deserves. No worries Jayla, we will get it in when safe! 😊

My joy for Jayla’s graduation is because we first talked about going to college when she was 5 years old. Some may think this is a bit young, but my goal was to create a mindset where we knew the direction of the journey. Please note, all the work, time and effort were put in by Jayla and it was a joy for me to watch her tick off objectives towards this goal. My role simply was support, reinforcement, someone to bounce ideas off, and a silly uncle joke when needed.

It is amazing to look back on this journey and see the adult she has become. I am sure this progression is nothing new for parents to view but for the cool uncle this has been an awesome ride!

The University of Central Florida conducted virtual graduation ceremonies for each college. The College of Business hosted the largest number of graduates which ensured we would be glued to our computers until they got to the great Williams last name. Did not realize how excited I would be sitting on my laptop waiting to officially hear Jayla Williams being declared an Integrated Business graduate from the University of Central Florida College of Business. Luckily, I had the foresight to get my phone ready for the quick photo opportunity provided while hearing Jayla’s name. This put a huge smile on my face, and I texted the photo to family so they could share in my joy!

Looking forward to when we can get back together to throw the big blowout party she was expecting and deserves. That day is coming, and we will celebrate the 24 years and counting for the journey we are on. Cannot wait to see what the future holds for my class of 2020 graduate—big things I am sure!

Congratulations and Go Jayla! 😊

Uncle Calvin

“Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success. You have got to take risks”.

(Denzel Washington)

The Wolf of Networking

(Image by InspiredImages from Pixabay)

“Networking is an enrichment program, not an entitlement program”.

(Susan RoAne)

My Walk into the Future continues to provide me with opportunities to make a difference daily. It helps that I have opened my eyes and mind to all possibilities and the opportunities keep presenting themselves to me. The journey moves forward!

The title of this blog article references the Wolf of Networking. I have identified myself as a People Builder, running tourist and Inspiration Man in multiple posts. Well, say hello to my next moniker, Wolf of Networking! 😊

I selected this new moniker to have fun with a project that has been years in the making. My past roles in university career services allowed me to build and maintain a network with recruiters who primarily hire recent college graduates. I was responsible to find, network and recruit these recruiters to come on-campus to hire students. My unit put on career fairs, networking events, professional development workshops and scheduled on-campus interviews to connect students and recruiters. So, this put me in a prime position to learn inside information on how different organizations created their on-campus recruiting programs.

The Wolf of Networking had to compete with other schools for recruiters’ attention and resources to ensure our students got opportunities. Happy to say we won more battles than we lost and maintained a robust on-campus recruiting program at multiple schools (UCF and FSU). Shared tricks of the trade with other wolf packs (UF, USF, FAU, FIU) to help them become more successful getting employers on their campuses. Found it was easier to keep employers in Florida if other schools were viewed as attractive options—I am competitive but also practical.

I leveraged the Wolf of Networking status to build my handpicked wolf pack and I am happy to see the great things they are doing around the country at prestigious institutions. We stay in contact to ensure the pack continues to grow.

Went back to my wolf pack mentality recently to help a tree branch network with recruiters for future employment. This tree branch had heard about my contacts but did not fully understand how connected I still am in the college recruiting world. Happy to say they get it now! 😊

I was presented with a list of 9 organizations of interest for future employment. I had professional contacts with 8 of the 9 organizations on the list. Some of these contacts are also personal friends so it was a bit easier to get them to respond to my requests. My tree branch now had people inside the organizations they wanted to work for looking out for them. Nothing was promised but my network was looking out for my tree branch just as I would.

I tell people I work with you are always networking even when you do not know it. Look for ways to benefit others and then when you need a helping hand people will respond to you. Think my tree branch will look at the Wolf of Networking from a different perspective now. The wolf makes positive things happen! 😊

Who can you help reach their goals? What action steps are needed for a successful outcome?

“Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives”.

(Michelle Obama)